Santa pillow

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

When I was in junior high and high school, I always chose to make my friends their Christmas presents. This was well before the day of pinterest and the idea that 'DIY is cool.' I would paint personalized acrylic boxes, painted sweatshirts, handmade jewelry...every year there was a different idea. My friends were not DIY'ers and thinking back, I am not sure they were as excited with these gifts as I was in creating them. Fast forward to today, and handmade gifts are more popular than ever. If you are looking for a fun gift you can make and you have some basic sewing skills, then you will love this holiday pillow.

My finished pillow is 17". I cut out an 18" square of the white fabric for the front and an 18" piece of chevron for the back {1/2" seam allowance}

I found this santa silhouette doing a google search. I made him out of the gray felt. To adhere the Santa onto the pillow, I ironed fusible heat & bond to the back of the felt.

You can have your santa looking left or right. I printed it off and traced it onto the felt using chalk.

Cut it out {you cut through the felt and the fusible paper backed web}.

Pull off the paper backing of the fusible web. This leaves the glue on the back of your felt.

With the glue side down, center the santa on the front of the pillow fabric and iron using the directions on your specific heat and bond product.

I like to use a flange detail to edge my pillows. You don't have to add anything, but it really adds a great touch. Using an orangy-red linen, I cut a 3 1/2" strip on the bias. I Ironed it half and pinned it to the edge of the front of the pillow and stitched in place {It ends up being 1 1/2" finished} Place your pillow back fabric on top of the front, right sides together, and stitch all the way around leaving a 3" opening on the bottom edge. Turn the pillow inside out through the opening.

Add your stuffing through the opening. I actually add an additional step here -- a covering for my pillow insert. This makes the pillow look less lumpy and more professional. Using any light colored fabric you have {mine is a thin cotton} cut 2 17" squares of fabric. Sew together and turn inside out.

Slide it into the pillow opening making sure the opening of the pillow insert is in the same place as the opening of the pillow.

Add your stuffing and hand sew the opening of the insert and then the opening of the pillow.